Conductive atomic force microscopy system with enhanced sensitivity and methods of using such a system

A method, comprising:

• positioning a doped semiconductor material in a housing;
• generating a vacuum ambient within the housing,
• measuring at least one electrical-related parameter of at least one layer of material positioned above the doped semiconductor material by simultaneously:
• irradiating at least a portion of an upper surface of the at least one layer of material with radiation, thereby defining an irradiated portion of the at least one layer of material;
• urging a conductive tip of a cantilever beam probe into contact with the upper surface of the irradiated portion of at least one layer of material;
• and
• generating an electrical current that flows through the at least one layer of material, through the doped semiconductor material, through a measurement device that is operatively coupled to the cantilever beam probe and through the cantilever beam probe, wherein the measurement device measures the at least one electrical-related parameter of the at least one layer of material, wherein measuring the at least one electrical-related parameter of the at least one layer of material is performed while the doped semiconductor material is in the vacuum ambient.

A method, comprising:

• measuring at least one electrical-related parameter of a device structure comprising a doped semiconductor material by simultaneously:
• irradiating at least a portion of the device structure with radiation, thereby defining an irradiated portion of the device structure;
• urging a conductive tip of a cantilever beam probe into a position whereby the conductive tip is conductively coupled to the irradiated portion of the device structure;
• and
• generating an electrical current that flows through the device structure, through a measurement device that is operatively coupled to the cantilever beam probe and through the cantilever beam probe, wherein the measurement device measures the at least one electrical-related parameter of the device structure, wherein the doped semiconductor material has a dopant concentration of at most approximately 1E15 ions/cm3.